Plattsburgh Weighs Temporary Ban on High-Power Crypto Mining and AI Facilities

Plattsburgh, New York is considering a temporary ban on cryptocurrency mining and AI data centers to curb high-power facilities. The city council held a public hearing last week to discuss a plan that would suspend land-use approvals for 12 months for computing facilities consuming large amounts of electricity.

The proposal targets facilities requiring 300 kW or more, including cryptocurrency mining and AI data centers. If approved, new approval procedures would be halted for these facilities during the 12-month period.

This move is seen as a response to concerns over residents' electricity bills, which were exacerbated by the presence of high-energy computing facilities in the area. Plattsburgh imposed an 18-month ban on bitcoin mining in 2018 and now seeks to expand its regulatory scope to include AI data centers.